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CAIRO, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has annulled a decree that granted him expansive power and the army was mobilized to maintain security, officials said.

In a televised statement on al-Arabiya, Vice President Mahmoud Mekki said the army had been mobilized to maintain security. The Egyptian cabinet approved measures permitting the army to use force if "necessary to perform their duty," al-Ahram newspaper reported.

Islamist politician Mohammed Selim el-Awa told a news conference Saturday the referendum on a draft constitution on Dec.15 would go ahead as planned and be immune from judicial appeal, al-Masry al-Youm said.

"If the people voted no to the referendum, a new Constituent Assembly will be formed within three months via general elections, after which it will write a new constitution within six months," he said

However, one of the key demands of Morsi's opponents was to halt the referendum.

Ahmed Said, head of the Free Egyptians Party and a key member of the National Salvation Front coalition, called Morsi's announcement shocking, saying it failed to halt the referendum, the BBC said. Former presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei, one of the founders of the National Salvation Front, called Morsi's decision " arm-twisting." The party was due to issue a response later Sunday.

Tanks, concrete blocks and barbed wire surrounded Morsi's palace in Cairo, which has been the flashpoint of violence in the country in the past week, the BBC said.

At least seven people were killed and hundreds injured in violent protests between anti-Morsi protesters and supporters that plagued the country after Morsi announced a decree giving him sweeping powers shielding him from judicial review, Ahram Online said.

Two killed in Bangledesh protests

DHAKA, Bangladesh, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Violence erupted at a demonstration in Bangladesh Sunday, resulting in the deaths of two protesters and injuries to a number of others, officials said.

Protesters blocked roads nationwide, demanding an independent body to oversee next year's election, a system that was done away with by the government last year, the BBC reported.

The main opposition party -- Bangladesh National Party -- called for the protests in an effort to urge the government to restore the system.

"We allowed peaceful protests. But once they started attacking cars and buses and throwing cocktail bombs, we used non-lethal weapons such as rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them," said Deputy Police Commissioner Imtiaz Ahmed.

Two protesters were killed in the clashes, while scores of others were injured, the BBC said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh disbanded the election system following a court order and has no intention of reversing the order.

Report: Israel secretly operating in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Israel has embarked on a covert war to monitor Syria's chemical and biological weapons, The Sunday Times of London reported.

"For years we've known the exact location of Syria's chemical and biological munitions," an Israeli source told the newspaper, adding, " ... in the past week we've got signs that munitions have been moved to new locations."

The "cross-border operation is part of a secret war to trail Syria's non-conventional armaments and sabotage their development," the newspaper said, adding special Israeli forces are operating as spotters to track the chemical stockpiles.

The decision to conduct such a mission came after Israel rejected the idea of conducting an aerial or ground assault to destroy Syrian President Bashar Assad's stockpile of chemical weapons, mainly purchased from Russia, the newspaper said.

If it becomes apparent that chemical weapons are being used by Assad, then Israel and the United States may coordinate to carry out a ground invasion, the paper said.

There has been no Israeli government response to the report.

U.S. officials said the White House and its allies are weighing military operations to secure Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons, Haaretz said.

Israel has also been in contact with Jordan to coordinate the issue. Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said his country is preparing "for different scenarios" and said the use of chemical weapons by Syria would be considered a "game changer."

Syrian rebels Saturday captured a chloride factory at Al Safira east of Aleppo considered to be the country's biggest chemical weapons store and base, which also houses Syrian Scud D missiles armed with chemical warheads adjusted to fire at Israel, Debka.com reported.

"The fall of Al Safira into rebel hands crosses a red line and places the Assad regime in direct peril. Possession of the chemical-tipped Scuds gives the rebels their strongest weapon for forcing the Syrian army to capitulate," Debka said.

American doctor rescued from Taliban

KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Coalition forces in Afghanistan Sunday rescued an American doctor who had been abducted by the Taliban four days earlier, military officials said.

Dr. Dilip Joseph, whose hometown wasn't provided, was freed during an operation in eastern Afghanistan and was being checked out before being reunited with his family, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force said.

Joseph had been abducted by Taliban insurgents Wednesday in the vicinity of Sarobi District of Kabul province. No details were provided about how he came to be kidnapped.

Gen. John R. Allen, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, gave the rescue mission the green light to go forward after intelligence showed the doctor was in imminent danger of injury or death, the ISAF said in a release posted on its website.

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